There comes a time in the life of any chocolate blogger when the backlog of chocolates eaten but not reviewed becomes slightly terrifying. Of course, chocolate backlog panics are made far worse when you eat and take notes for at least three new chocolates every week but don’t manage to write any reviews in the same time period. Many weeks in a row.

Oops.

The only plausible solution to this problem is a Chocolatepalooza. Here we go!

Lotte Vessel in the Fog Milk Chocolate

What makes a chocolate like a vessel in the fog? Is it that the flavour creeps up on you like pirates on a river about to attack so that they can steal your pantaloons to make hats with? Or is it more like the anticipation of standing in the mist at the bow of a cruise boat, wondering what island delight will be before you when the sky clears?

Apparently, a micro-grind vessel in the fog translates to Japan’s version of an Aero bar. I was given this bar quite some time ago by the ever-inspiring Helen of Grab Your Fork, whom I’m currently lulling into a false sense of security by letting her constantly beat me at Words With Friends. Just you wait, Helen. I’ll strike when you least expect it.

Oh, and the chocolate? Quite pleasant. This Lotte Milk Chocolate was certainly sweet but had nice strong notes of double cream, and the added benefit of novelty air bubbles. Thanks Helen!

Balance Sugarfree Dark Chocolate with Pistachios

I was initially disappointed in this Balance Sugarfree Dark Chocolate with Pistachios. I found it watery and insipid in flavour, with the cold-sensation muted sweetness that is often the hallmark of malitol-sweetened chocolates. However, over time the flavour began to remind me of the 150g block of pistachio torrone that I ate while sitting in the main square of Siena, and that’s never a bad thing.

Meiji Black Chocolate

This Meiji Black Chocolate was given to me by Fiona, back before she moved to Sydney and thus deprived me of our frequent coffee dates. However, seeing as the chocolate was far richer in flavour and more tasty than I was expecting, I forgive her for moving. (Almost.) Thanks Fiona!

Oxfam Australia Fairtrade Belgian Dark Chocolate

This Oxfam Australia Fairtrade Belgian Dark Chocolate was one of the goodies in my Christmas pillowcase-stocking, along with a Scratchie I won five dollars on, a delicate Christmas ornament, two adorable little dipping-sauce bowls, an even more adorable notebook that is also a quaintly illustrated version of Snow White, and much more.

I’ve totally already spent the five dollars from the Scratchie on lemon and ginger tea. I’m extravagant like that.

My overwhelming reaction to this Oxfam Chocolate (54% cacao content) was that it’s incredibly sweet, but also quite rich and enticing. The following is, I kid you not, a direct copy-paste from my tasting notes:

Thanks Alayna! Hurrah for Chocolatepaloozas! You know, I actually have found that it’s pretty hard for people to do pistachio well. So often pistachio desserts just end up tasting like almonds instead of pistachios…

Pleasantly surprised to see the Oxfam brand being used. I hope they are compensated adequately.
Vessel – I guess they are indicating that the chocolate will float like a vessel because of the air bubbles, fog is irrelevant I think, just makes it more romantic?

I always liked the sound of the sugar grass 🙂 And the Oompa Loompas, because singing and dancing sporadically in public is something I constantly have to restrain myself from doing. Except I often fail, as at the Japanese restaurant the other night…

I think the chocolate with bubble-holes is a gross idea… I’ve only tried it once, and I was so sadly disappointed. This bar’s so much cooler if only for the name, and the ship, and the oddly translated sentence in the corner.

I have so much chocolate that I had hoped to review, beginning in, oh I dunno, August?

Aw, Kari! You always take such considerate care of me 🙂 Rest assured the usual approach will remain a common occurrence too 🙂

I must say, I do like Alter Eco (probably better…), particularly because it offers darker chocolate and quinoa and cocoa nib deliciousness. I shall have to investigate if Oxfam offers flavoured chocolate too!

Alas, nope, we can excuse my insanity in that way, as we don’t have turtle confectionary down here. Although maybe my subconscious was remembering a long-forgotten taste from my time at UVA? Yes, I feel better now. Thanks love. 😛

Ah, but it was typing, not writing. And while I do, at times, make so many typos that the words are incomprehensible, this was most certainly “turtle”, because I remember thinking “what?!” and then writing “what?!” as soon as I saw the picture of the turtle in my mind.

oh hannah your tasting notes are always so entertaining and your photos are enticing even though I know I am far more likely to eat the supermarket brands – great idea to do a chocolatepalooza because as we all know it is far easier to eat chocolate than to blog about it

I’m really intrigued by the dark Meiji!! Because Meiji makes so many fun and delicious treats like the gummy bears covered in chocolate and all. haha! Turtle. I love that word for some reason; hence, you used it just to make me laugh. I also like to say it with the voice of the turtle guy on “master of disguise”. Have you watched that silly movie?

Ah, that must have been why I used the word turtle! Of course! My subconscious just wanted to make you happy 😀 Alas, no, I haven’t heard of Master of Disguise. But I did see a bit of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when I was growing up. So 80s! 😛

I’m rather fond of the Oxfam one for cooking, actually – I like to be fair-trade when I can, and it makes a pretty good chocolate mud cake. But it isn’t always practical (or cost-effective) to use it, of course. But I did use it for my Quaker godmother’s wedding cupcakes – it seemed in line with her beliefs – and it worked very well.

Wow! What variety. I think I’d most like to try the first one with the air bubbles. It’s very photogenic. I probably could do without a block of sugar-free because what’s the point – if you’re going to eat chocolate you may as well fully indulge.

And for me, I would love the Lotte ‘Vessel in the fog’ chocolate, as I used to be crazy about aero bars and the bubbles! That and the name is just too cool. Who names their chocolate like that? Really?

I love this post 🙂 I was going to do something similar soonish because I love chocolate and trying them from all over the place ~ I already have a few chocolates that you might like to try ~ have you had Sees candies before?

You know, if this was the fifties, and we were all different people, your chocolate reaction-notes could’ve totally been beat poetry, and seriously challenged this male-dominated genre. (*cough* former BA Student *cough*)

Am always amazed at how many different creators of chocolate there are in the world when I read your blog. I’ve been away from the computer for a while so I’m looking forward to catching up on it all 🙂

As a *cough* former BA English/Sociology Honours Student interested in gender equality and literature and poetry *cough* your comment fills me with absolute glee and not a small amount of glowing secret pride. 😀

Wheeee! You honestly have no idea how much it thrills me that you’re planning to catch up on my blog! Can’t wait for our upcoming comment interactions! 😀

Turtles aren’t common here (malheuresment), but The Curious Chocolatier in Canberra has a bar (can’t remember the name) that is totally turtle. Very delicious. What a great selection of chocolates you had there- I’d never stumbled over any of them of course.

Ah, the caramel milk chocolate with pecans, I’m guessing? I love how many people have decided that I must be referring to the American turtle confectionary and that I am therefore quite sane, but the honest truth is that I saw an actual turtle in my mind’s eye while eating that chocolate. Help! 😛

The chocolates were from Japan, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra respectively, so you’ve got hope on at least three counts!

mmmm u know what? maybe create a separate page called “choclatepalooza” that gives your best chocolate suggestions to your readers! i would love to see that hehehe since there are so many varieties here. like that sugar free dark chocolate one, i would love to try that since i constantly crave chocolate and i’m on a sugar free cleanse!

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About

Hannah. Writer, editor, firm believer in socks, gin, laughter, buttered toast, cheesecake, and semicolons. Currently back in Canberra after two years living in Canada; heart tingling to see what happens next.